A blog on all things delicious. Early posts are records of my favorite meals from three months in New York City. Current entries now coming to you from Seattle, Washington, and will focus more on cooking experiments and ideas.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

As promised in my previous post, my last culinary adventure took me to the little west village veg spot, 'snice. I had a terrible time deciding what to eat because everything sounded so good. This is a recurring struggle for me, especially at Vegetarian friendly restaurants.

I ended up going with a quinoa salad that was excellent. It had black beans, corn, red onions, cilantro, avocado, tortilla chip strips, and an avocado dressing. Yummy south western quinoa heaven. It was fantastic. The dressing was light and creamy, with just the right amount of acidity. I love these flavors, especially the sweetness of the corn. The quinoa was fluffed and airy, with a good al dente bite.

I thoroughly enjoyed this salad on Friday evening.

On Saturday, I worked and then spent a couple hours roaming the west village for another new restaurant to try. The majority of which were crowded or too expensive. I walked past Taim and was barely able to resist the temptation of warm falafel. The lure of the comfortably worn wood tables and tall glasses of fresh coffee, all very Seattle-esque, brought me back to 'snice for the second night in a row.

On this trip, I went for a hummus sandwich (Are you seeing a theme?). It had sprouts, roasted red peppers, hummus, and lettuce on whole wheat toast. I didn't know when I ordered that it would be a triple decker, a la club sandwich, and come with a side salad. I deconstructed both halves and created 3 halves with the bottom toasts and excess filling, thus yielding a half-sandwich/ salad dinner and a doggy bag of a whole sandwich. Not a bad deal. It was very tasty, but I still give my vote to Tiny's for one of the greatest sandwiches my whole life.

I'd choose the quinoa over the sandwich for the more satisfying and unique meal. If I go back, I might try the bueno burrito or a bowl of soup.

I also stopped by The Peanut Butter and Co. Restaurant this weekend, for a peanut butter smoothie. Ice, skim milk, banana, honey, and peanut butter make a very refreshing and wonderfully peanut-y drink. I definitely will go back here for a PB & somethin fancy. Perhaps the Elvis (Grilled PB, honey, and banana) or a fluffernutter...or a PB & J...that decision could take a very, very long time.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Last weekend I went to a really great restaurant in Greenwich Village (71 7th Ave S.), The Hummus Place. It was yet another Mediterranean place with some of my favorite flavors and dishes on the menu. I ordered their 3 appetizer meal, which was about $9. I resisted the falafel appetizer. That was a pretty big step for me, since falafel is just SO good. I had the "health salad"- chopped tomato, cucumber, parsley, and onion. This dish was really nice. Everything was diced very small, which allowed all the juices and flavors to marinate and blend very well. I had their hummus, which was a traditional, creamy, tahini-laden bean spread. It was fantastic. It was pungent and smooth. My third appetizer was Lebane, which I'd never seen before. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It's strained yogurt cheese, like a really thick Greek yogurt, topped with Za' atar and olive oil. The Za' atar is what I assume is a blend of spices. I ordered a fluffy whole wheat pita on the side for .75 cents. The fact that it didn't come with the appetizer special was a little disappointing, until I got over it. The pita was a fresh, airy, and nutty little pillow. My favorite way to eat this meal was to use a little piece of pita, spread with hummus, lebane, and a spoonful of my health salad to create one perfect bite. It all went great together. I could also just eat the lebane with a spoon. It was tangy and rich.

Overall, this was a great Mediterranean feast, with reasonably sized portions and a good price tag. The service was excellent too- very friendly people.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

I think everyone can agree, Whole Foods is amazing. There's not much to dispute here. I really enjoy a good Whole Foods salad bar lunch. I get one of those cardboard boxes and fill it with fresh baby spinach and mixed herbs and greens, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, celery, shredded carrots, a hard boiled egg, and a few beets. The only thing I can think of to describe this salad is Alton Brown's infamous phrase...good eats.

(I really enjoy Alton Brown, and at the same time, I just don't understand him. His knowledge of food is RIDICULOUS.)